Bank of Bigheart
Encyclopedia
The Bank of Bigheart is a historic commercial building in the town of Barnsdall, Oklahoma
.
in Osage County
. In April of 1911 a tornado
destroyed much of the town which was known as Bigheart at that time. (The name was changed in 1921). The building was constructed in 1911. The first floor of the building originally contained the Bank of Bigheart which closed in the 1930s. It has since contained a variety of businesses including a drug store and tavern. The second floor was originally used for professional offices and continued to do so at least through the 1980s. It is the oldest surviving commercial building in Barnsdall. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on November 23, 1984.
architecture. It is built of native sandstone. The lower level features large arched windows typical of Richardsonian Romanesque buildings. The upper story has smaller deeply set window with straight tops which are arranged in ribbon-like fashion, while the roof line features crenelations, both of which are characteristic of Richardsonian Romanesque. It is one of four small bank buildings built in Richardsonian Romanesque
style in Osage County, Oklahoma
during 1904-1911. The others are Bank of Hominy
, Bank of Burbank
, and Osage Bank of Fairfax
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1984.
Barnsdall, Oklahoma
Barnsdall is a city in Osage County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 1,325 at the 2000 census.-History:The town was founded in 1905 and originally named Bigheart, for the Osage Chief James Bigheart. It was initially a 160-acre site along the Midland Valley Railroad in March, 1905...
.
Construction
The building was constructed during the peak of the oil boomOil boom
An oil boom is a boom in the oil producing sector of an economy. Generally, this short period initially brings economical benefits, in term of increased GDP growth, but might later lead to a resource curse.-Consequences:...
in Osage County
Osage County, Oklahoma
Osage County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coterminous with the Osage Indian Reservation, it is the home of the federally recognized Osage Nation. As of the 2010 census, the population was 47,472 a 6.8 percent increase from 2000, when the population was 44,437...
. In April of 1911 a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
destroyed much of the town which was known as Bigheart at that time. (The name was changed in 1921). The building was constructed in 1911. The first floor of the building originally contained the Bank of Bigheart which closed in the 1930s. It has since contained a variety of businesses including a drug store and tavern. The second floor was originally used for professional offices and continued to do so at least through the 1980s. It is the oldest surviving commercial building in Barnsdall. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on November 23, 1984.
Architecture
The building is an example of late Richardsonian RomanesqueRichardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
architecture. It is built of native sandstone. The lower level features large arched windows typical of Richardsonian Romanesque buildings. The upper story has smaller deeply set window with straight tops which are arranged in ribbon-like fashion, while the roof line features crenelations, both of which are characteristic of Richardsonian Romanesque. It is one of four small bank buildings built in Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque
Richardsonian Romanesque is a style of Romanesque Revival architecture named after architect Henry Hobson Richardson, whose masterpiece is Trinity Church, Boston , designated a National Historic Landmark...
style in Osage County, Oklahoma
Osage County, Oklahoma
Osage County is a county in the northern part of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. Coterminous with the Osage Indian Reservation, it is the home of the federally recognized Osage Nation. As of the 2010 census, the population was 47,472 a 6.8 percent increase from 2000, when the population was 44,437...
during 1904-1911. The others are Bank of Hominy
Bank of Hominy
The Bank of Hominy is a building built in 1906, two years after the Oklahoma oil boom of 1904. It is one of four small bank buildings built in Richardsonian Romanesque style in Osage County, Oklahoma during 1904-1911. The others are Bank of Burbank, Bank of Bigheart, and Osage Bank of Fairfax.It...
, Bank of Burbank
Bank of Burbank
The Bank of Burbank is a historic bank building in Burbank, Oklahoma. It was built in 1910. It "survived the depression and provided banking services to the residents of Burbank until 1948", and subsequently was renovated for use as a private residence....
, and Osage Bank of Fairfax
Osage Bank of Fairfax
The Osage Bank of Fairfax was the first bank building built in Osage County. It was built in 1904, at the time of the Oklahoma oil boom. It is one of four small bank buildings built in Richardsonian Romanesque style in Osage County, Oklahoma during 1904-1911...
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1984.